Sania a.k.a Desi Graf?????

Just finished watching a very exciting second round Ladies' Wimbledon match involving Sania Mirza of India and Svetlana Kuznetsova (seeded 5) of Russia. I was in Chicago, when Sania became the first Indian woman to win a WTA tour championship in India. I still remember vividly reading articles on rediff singing paeans about the next big sensation in women's tennis from India. Bereft of sport superstars in a vast country such as India, I thought this was another case of the media going to the town and wondered what all the brouhaha was all about. I just dismissed it as a case of media hype, as I have seen many an Indian sportsperson bite the dust after promising so much. I confess I was also one of the doubting Thomases, even when Sania beat Svetlana in Dubai earlier in the year, dismissing it as a stroke of luck.

To begin with, she was playing on the Centre Court in Championships Wimbledon for the first time against a #5 seed. Though she had beaten Kuznetsova in the Dubai Open, an 18 year-old can easily be overawed by the tradition of the Centre Court at Wimbledon. When the match started, I was thinking Sania would be very nervous and her game would fall apart, playing as she was at Wimbledon's Centre Court for the first time, and that it would be cake-walk for Kuznetsova (ranked #6 in the WTA tour and the reigning US Open champion). In the first set, Sania broke Svetlana's first service game itself and the players traded breaks with each failing to hold on to their service games. Finally, Sania was up 4-3 and serving 40-0 trying to go up two breaks. Svetlana pulled herself out of the hole with 5 straight points and took the game with a strong finish at the net. Sania was full of nerves and promptly lost the next two games and the set to Kuznetsova. Though Sania lost the first set, I was impressed with her groundstrokes. She has a booming forehand (which reminded me of my favourite Steffi Graf), pretty good backhand and can serve decently (not the patsies that most women on the tour throw up as an apology to serve) and most of all a solid temperament and no stage fright.

I have seen a lot of early round action, where the stars are tested slightly in the first set and then they would go into cruise control mode and win the match easily. So, I wondered if it would be the same in Sania's case too. But, that was not to be. Sania broke Kuznetsova right away to take a 2-0 advantage in the second set. She again had a 4-3 and 40-0 lead on the serve and she let Kuznetsova back in the game again. Just as we were wondering whether she would squander the second set too, Sania held on to her serve and forced a tie-break and what's more...she won the tie-break and the second set. As the match progressed into the second set, more spectators milled to see a classic matchup between two teenaged girls on the Centre Court. The crowd was clearly rooting for Sania (evidenced by their applause for Sania's winners and apparent lack of same to Kuznetsova's winners) and one of the Brit commentators was overheard on television "C'mon Sania, get us into the third set". The British commentator didn't just stop at that and commented that the crowd may be seeing the beginning of a new tennis star on the WTA Tour. The Brit commentator asked a trick question to Vijay Amritraj (the other commentator) as to what would be a reasonable ranking that Sania could achieve in the near future (Top 25, 50 etc.) But the diplomat that he is, Vijay answered the question with panache saying he is not really bothered about how high a ranking Sania could achieve. Rather, he would be very happy if she improves her game and represents India and does well in the Fed Cup for her country.

The decider began with both players holding their first two service games. Kuznetsova drew the first blood, when she broke Sania twice from 2-2 to go up 5-2. Kuznetsova changed her tactics from the first two sets. She started going more to the net and was also helped generously by Sania's double-faults at break points. Just when it looked like it was all over for Sania, she showed her mental resilience by holding her service game and bouncing back (using what else but her powerful forehand ground strokes) to break Kuznetsova right back. At this point, Kuznetsova was totally tired and and Sania was making her earn each and every point the hard way. Everyone in the crowd were supporting Sania and were expecting Sania to break Kuznetsova's next service game. But the world #6 showed her experience and why she is the reigning US Open champion by serving out the game to win the match and book a spot in the third round.

I hate to confess, when I am wrong (who is not?) ... I was thinking that Sania, with her model looks, was all primed to be another Kournikova. What with all those ads that Sania was appearing in, I was beginning to wonder that it would only be a matter of time before the notorious media would pull her down. To be fair, Sania has already won a WTA title, whereas Anna hasn't done so. Boy, am I glad to be proved wrong? After last night's match, I have become me a complete believer in Sania's ability/skills and I have no doubt that she belongs to the big league. I truly believe that she can be a Top 25 player on the women's circuit. At the end of the match, everyone would agree that Sania definitely had the talent and the strokes to make it big. Obviously, her big pluses would be her cool demeanor and forehand ground strokes. She has a pretty good backhand and a good service. She just needs to learn to add net game to her repertoire, to do well on grass. Her serve needs to be more consistent, as she served double faults at the crucial junctures in the match. If there is an Indian tennis player (male/female) with potential to make it big in the singles, it has to be Sania Mirza. I know we are putting lot of hopes and expectations on the 18 year-old lass from Hyderabad. But that comes with the territory and hope she doesn't get bogged down with all those expectations and pressures. Here's hoping that we would soon be toasting Sania for her singles exploits on the Tour!!